Game 2014.16: White Sox 3, Tigers 1

First of four against Chicago in Detroit, last of the homestand before Lazy April is over and the Tigers transition into a road-heavy month of May.

But he’s a professional. Minus the quotes and below the Joba, this is the kind of postgame I aspire to. Well, maybe I like to cover a little more, but it’s cool to read something that makes you go both “That’s what I was thinking!” and “Why didn’t that occur to me?”

You might say that the White Sox are overmatched. Concede the loss to Chris Sale and take 3, right? But notice that Detroit hasn’t been getting XBH and Chicago hasn’t really been giving them up, as lousy as their staff appears. Sox pitchers have trouble throwing strikes, but don’t forget that, just yesterday, the Tigers failed to drive in a single hitting run through 5.2 IP and 100+ pitches (119! 62 strikes!) off of a Hector Santiago-type fellow who could not throw a strike – except when he had to. Neither team has been any great shakes defensively, so maybe we can expect a number of games like the 2nd against the Indians. Watch out for a Chicago offense that just stomped the Texas Rangers 16-2.

No, I don’t think this is going to be easy. My hopes for an early statement on who owns the AL Central rest on the shoulders of the Detroit Tigers pitching staff and team defense that could be – and should be – trending upward.

POSTGAME: Anibal Sanchez is the ace on a tightrope. He’s more dazzling than Scherzer or Verlander on a merely good day, but when he slips, it’s not a stumble, but a fall. The fall came in the 7th, when Ausmus should have pulled him tout suite after the Abreu double (wow, did Ausmus waste a challenge on that one), or at least after the faux strikeout of Dunn. Rajai Davis added insult to injury with a miserable throw to the plate from LF (valiant effort from Sanchez and Avila to second-chance it) that resulted in a backbreaker run, but I’m still looking straight at Anibal. The White Sox are no joke at the plate, and they showed up in the 7th.

Ian Kinsler has built up a considerable good will buffer, so I’m only pointing out fact when I say two of the three Tigers rallies died with him at the plate. The more frustrating one might have been loading the bases, no outs, only to see the bottom of order (which includes Davis no matter where he bats) plate only one… on an out (Avila hits it hard but into the shift). Falling considerably short against mediocre pitching has become a trend.

38 Comments

Commerce Dave

April 21, 2014 at 8:56 am

If we can take two out of three from the Angels with Cabrera stuck in low gear – I’ll take that with a big smile. The White Sox look like a trap waiting to happen – seen this movie before. The ERA’s on the Sox named starters don’t look too bad (Danks 3.32, Sale 2.30, Quintana 3.75). It’s way too easy to picture the Tigers playing the Angels tough and sleepwalking against Chicago. Whats the over/under for strikeouts by Adam Dunn for the series against the Tigers staff? (19 K in 52 AB so far = 36.5%)

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 3:41 pm

The Tigers are 13th in AL in runs scored. They have played the fewest games of any AL team though. Make of that what you will.

Does Putkonen really have elbow inflammation, or is his being put on the DL a procedural move to avoid using an option? Chances are he will get more work during his “rehab” than he would on the Tigers staff anyway. Thoughts?

Smoking Loon

April 21, 2014 at 10:23 pm

Procedural. Laughably transparent. Still better than those fake DL stints for guys who were just pitching like crap, though. One rocky outing for Putkonen…it happens. Not enough data for any “crap” conclusion there.

jud

April 21, 2014 at 7:10 pm

And we wonder about pitch counts and we drop fly balls early in the game

jud

April 21, 2014 at 7:17 pm

And then the pitchers best friend shows up!!

Coleman

April 21, 2014 at 8:41 pm

Sanchez’ pitch count is way too low.

tbran

April 21, 2014 at 8:56 pm

Is Nathan available tonight?

tbran

April 21, 2014 at 9:05 pm

sorry I asked.

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 9:04 pm

I never thought there would be this many challenges. Seems like 2 or 3 every game. Anybody keeping count?

Kevin in Dallas

April 21, 2014 at 9:15 pm

It’s only supposed to be one per game, unless any part of your challenge is upheld. I thought the WS lost their challenge? Though the crew chief can review any play.

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 9:27 pm

Since NY blew the call on the Castellanos replay, maybe they decided to give Chi a Mulligan. Another thing that is starting to bug me about replay calls is that the 5th umpire seems to be getting it wrong as often as right.

TIGERS RULE

April 21, 2014 at 9:11 pm

These guys have got to learn that they having to tag the leading body part.

jud

April 21, 2014 at 9:14 pm

How about 1 run against one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball!!!

Hey Brad how long can you let a guy 3-40 bat 3rd!!!…

Coleman

April 21, 2014 at 9:27 pm

Cabvila.

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 9:32 pm

Maybe he needs glasses too.

TIGERS RULE

April 21, 2014 at 9:17 pm

When things fall apart ….. they really fall apart!

jud

April 21, 2014 at 9:37 pm

One run today and they will be lucky to get one run tomorrow against a real pitcher!

TIGERS RULE

April 21, 2014 at 9:43 pm

I don’t think Sale is pitching tomorrow. It might be a call-up from the minors.

TIGERS RULE

April 21, 2014 at 9:41 pm

With some alert managing by Smokey Jr. in the 7th we might have scored some runs!

Angus

April 21, 2014 at 9:43 pm

Is it me or is it taking a ridiculously long time to play the games this year. I do not know if instant replay is adding a great deal of time but all games appear to take at least 3 hours now.

Coleman

April 21, 2014 at 9:48 pm

I don’t think they replay review themselves add very much time. One thing that is happening though is that every time there is a close play, someone stalls until the bench has time to check out the replays to see if they want to challenge it or not.

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 9:52 pm

The replays seem to be taking 4-5 minutes from the time when the manager finally decides to challenge to the ruling. With three per game, that’s 10-15 minutes. Also,it seems like Ausmus is making a lot of pitching changes mid-inning late in the game and that can add some time. I don’t watch on tv or listen on radio, but if they are adding more commercials, that will extend the game too. Somewhere some one is keeping track of average game times, but I haven’t seen anything yet. Wouldn’t surprise me though.

He will be fine, but he is not fine now. His BABIP is pretty much in line with his crap BA and is not to be taken as a sign of encouragement, in my view. He is not at all unlucky, but making uncharacteristically bad choices.

before i say DET caught a break, we’ll see what they do against Sale’s replacement

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 10:30 pm

Looks to be Cy Rienzo for the Sox.

Coleman

April 21, 2014 at 10:08 pm

J.D Time.

jud

April 21, 2014 at 10:10 pm

A blind Squirrel for AA..heck ya!

jud

April 21, 2014 at 10:16 pm

Its pretty bad when the most exciting thing your teams does is get a walk from the kid from Toledo!!!

Vince in MN

April 21, 2014 at 10:19 pm

0 for 10 RISP tells the story.

jud

April 21, 2014 at 10:39 pm

6 different batters left runners in scoring position , 2 outs plus the fact that Miggy basically sucks accounts for 7 different batters against a guy who hasn’t won at Comerica sunce 2008…and hasn’t beat the Tigers since 2010….total embarassment!!

jud

April 21, 2014 at 11:51 pm

Has more K’s than Hits…15-13…..he occassionally K’s but not like this…most fly balls are 25 feet from the warning track…they aren’t to the track or wall….something is wrong oh yes something id definetely wrong…its way more than mental!!!!